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If you are looking for gardening advice, tips and solutions, use McGregor’s Help Shed for answers to all your gardening questions. The smallest and simplest tricks can make all the difference in your garden. Use the ‘Ask a question’ tool to submit your own questions for our gardening experts.

Latest Questions & Answers

Damage can be sudden and dramatic as swarms move from tree to tree. There’s little that can be done as their arrival is so random, appearing at any time from September until late December. There’s no point spraying in advance.
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Cut down the numbers by providing the earwigs homes with crumpled newspaper inside upturned post. Burn the newspaper, earwigs and all, use Diatomaceour Earth to keep earwigs away from strawberries by dusting the plans and…

Follow them home at dawn or dusk to locate their nest then, at night when all the wasps are home spray the nest with a household bug spray. Alternatively if you are feeling brave you can cut the stalk of the nest and drop it into a plastic bag, quickly tie…

Hold a jar under the bugs and they’ll often leap off the plant into the jar. Crush the beetles-but wear gloves! The stinky smell causes other bugs to drop to the ground where they can be stepped on. Grow Sunflowers and Cleomes as a catch crop to attract the…

When plants are stressed by high temperatures, they are far more susceptible to attacks by garden pests.
Here are a few common summer garden gremlins to look out for:
Red spider mite breeds at a rapid…

Ladybirds predate mealybugs. Be selective with sprays as many won’t be effective against mites but will harm ladybirds. Ensure the underside of the leaves are thoroughly covered with spray and repeat several times at seven-to 10 day- intervals.
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They could be Leaf Roller Caterpillars; they tie up the leaves with a web. You need to get rid of them to stop them creating skeleton leaves. Use McGregor’s Derris Dust on your plants, it is safe for edibles.…

Aphids cluster at the tips of new growth so a quick, effective control is to squash them with your fingers. Attract beneficial insects that eat aphids. Spraying with Neem oil knocks back the aphids but won’t harm larger beneficial insects.…

Mineral oils, such as McGregor’s Spraying Oil, seep under their protective coating to smother the bugs underneath. Systemic insecticides (Orthene, Confidor) are taken up by plants and transferred to bugs via the sap. Soak the root ball of mealybug-infected…

For effective control, sprays need to be timed for when the moths are flying. Hang pheromone traps in early spring. Count the number of male moths stuck in the traps every couple of days. When you get a dozen it’s time to spray with a caterpillar spray as…

Clear away the grass to give access to the tunnels. Thread in supple wire to spear the grubs. Don’t prune affected branches in spring or summer- adult borer will lay more eggs on the fresh cuts. Prune in autumn or winter when the adult’s aren’t…

Common nocturnal pests of the home garden with a voracious appetite for young seedlings and a number of ornamental plants such as Hosta, and the native Reinga Lily. They thrive in damp conditions (winter-spring) or where there is cover from daytime sun.
Solution: …